Projectile.



` No.s'55.466. PATBNTED JUNE 4, 1907..'

A.. M. MAZER.

PRQJEGTILE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY'29v, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o volutions 1s increased or of graduated incli- 26 infront of the head 27, the latter serving as a stop to prevent forward movement of the hammer until the projectile strikes an obstruction, when its momentum will release the hammer to explode the fulminate 18.

.Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, I will describe the mechanism arranged within the central chamber 2. The numeral 30 designates a trunnion screwed into a central threaded opening formed in the partition 8, to revolve with the latter. The rear end of the trunnion 30 is formed with a bearing 31 which will be referred to hereinafter and. in front of said bearing a gear inion 32 is fixed upon the trunnion. Loose y mounted upon the trunnion between thepinion 32 and the partition 8 is a hanger 33 provided at its lower end with a bearing for the forward end of a shaft 34 upon which is fixed a gear wheel 35 meshing with the pinion 32. The rear surface of the partition 8 is formed with an annular rib 36 surrounding the trunnion to serve as a reduced friction surface for the hanger 33. 37 designates a shaft supported loosely at its front end within the bearing 31. and at its rear end within a bearing 33formed centrally of the partition 9. I preferably provide ball bearings for this shaft as shown in the drawings. Fixed Ato the shaft 37 is a gear wheel 39 meshing with a pinion 40 fixed upon the shaft 34. Suspended from the shaft 37 is a pendulum 41 provided at its u ier end with a sleeve 42 through which t e shaft 37 extends and at the center of its body ortion with an opening 43 through which the shaft 34 extends, said opening 43 having a central annular rib 44 to reduce the friction between the shafti and pendulum. The shaft 37 has a spiral groove 45 extending from a point in rear of the gear wheel 39 to the rear end of the shaft. Ascrew 46 extends throng the sleeve 42 and projects into the groove of p the shaft so that the revolution of said shaft will move the pendulum rearward as will be further referred to. The pitch of the forward convolution 47 of the groove in the shaft 37 is vertical, for a short distance to allow the projectile to travel for a time in a horizontal plane under the force of the exward movement of the pendulum.

. force of the explosion the center of gravity is A maintained by the vertical convolution of the groove 1n the shaft.

plosion, while the pitch of the remaining connation to effect a gradually increasing rear- The pendulum is on the center of gravity, when the rojectile is fired, and as long as the projectile travels in a horizontalplane under the To maintain the pendulum in its normal position, a threaded in 48 extends through an opening in the casing 2 below the pendulum, said pin engaging in a slot 49 formed on the under surface of the pendulum. As the projectile is placed in the gun, this pin 48 is removed to release the pendulum,

The operation of the mechanism constructed and arranged as above described is as follows :MWhen the projectile leaves the gun and is projected under the force of the charge its rapidly revolving motion is im parted to the trunnion 30, and through the intermediacy of the pinion 32 and gear wheel 35, the shaft 34 is revolved, thus revolving the pinion 40, gear wheel 39, and shaft 37. The pitch of the convolution of the groove 45 is calculated with reference to the curve of the trajectory, the first convolution as above stated following a line perpendicular to the shaft to permit the projectile to maintain itself along a horizontal path under the force of the charge. As the projectile proceeds the pendulum will be moved rearwardly by the screw 46 traveling in the groove 45, thus displacing or changing the center of gravity and overcoming the tendency of the point or nose of the projectile to drop below a horizontal plane. As the projectile moves ahead it gradually loses its force and becomes more susceptible to the attraction of gravitation and the resistance of the air, but its tendency to plunge downward will be overcome by the rearward shifting of the weighted pendulum and the consequent shifting of the center of gravity until the screw 46 reaches the rear end of the groove when the projectile will plunge, and curve to the ground. 1t will be apparent however, that this will not occur until after the projectile has traveled a much. greater distance than it could have covered without being equipped with the shifting weighted device. When the point of the project'le contacts with an obstruction its momentum releases the impact fuses as above explained, and the explosion of the fulminate by the hammers 25 iirst ignites the slow-burning powder in the chamber 19 and subsequently the quick-combustion powder in the chamber 21, and in the chambers 4 and 6.

In Figs. 5 and 6, 1 have shown a modified construction in which the partition 3 be tween the powder chamber 4 and the mechanism chamber is hollowed out as at 50 to conform to the contour of a supplemental weight 51 carried upon the forward end of the shaft 34, the latter being extended to receive said weight. The function of this sup' plemental weight is to maintain the gear wheel V35, and pinion 40 in proper working position, anced on the shaft 34. 1t may be of any preferred form or contour.

The utility and advantages of my improvement will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and I would have it understood that the in vention is not restricted to the precise con- IOO and said weight is free and baljectile for moving said weight.

vstruction shown in the drawings, but includes all such modifications and variations in the minor ldetails as may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the claims. j i

What I'claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is zl. Ihe combination with a projectile, of means carried therein for increasing the horizontal trajectory, said means being operated by the rotary motion of the projectile.

2. A projectile comprisingv a plurality of independent chambers or compartments, in combination with mechanism supported within one of said compartments for maintaining the projectile in a horizontal position during flight, said mechanism being operated through therotary motion of the projectile.

3. The combination with a projectile, of mechanism carried therein for maintaining the projectile in a -horizontal position during flight, comprising a movable weight or pen dulum, and means operated by the rotary motion of the projectile for moving said weight or pendulum rearward.

' 4. The combination with a projectile, of a revoluble shaft supported Within the rojectile, and disposed longitudinally thereof, a weight movable upon said shaft, and means driven through the rotary motion ofthe pro- 5. rlhe combination with a projectile comprising a plurality of chambers, of mechan ism supported within one of said chambers for maintaining the projectile in horizontal position during flight consisting of a revoluble shaft, a weight suspended therefrom, mean-s for revolving said shaft through the rotary motion of the projectile, and means for effecting the rearward movement of the weight upon said shaft.

6. The combination with a projectile, of mechanism arranged therein comprisingv a longitudinally disposed revoluble shaft formed with a spirally disposed groove, a weight suspended from said shaft, a device connected with said weight and projecting into said groove, and a train of gearing driven by the rotary motion of the projectile 5o for revolving said shaft.

7. The combination with a projectile comprising a plurality of detachable casings, of

mechanism supported within one of said casings and comprising a longitudinally disposed spirally grooved shaft, a weight suspended from said shaft, a fixed trunnion adapted to revolve with the projectile, a gear pinion on said trunnion, and a train of gearing driven by said pinion to revolve said shaft.

8. The combination with a projectile, of a longitudinally disposed grooved shaft supported within the projectile, a weight suspended from said shaftjjand means driven by the rotary motion of the projectile for moving j said weight rearward to tend to elevate the point or nose of the projectile.

9. The combination with a projectile, of a longitudinally disposed grooved shaft supported within the projectile, a weight suspended upon said shaft, means carried by said weight to engage the groove of the shaft, a gear pinion mounted upon a fixed portion of the projectile, a shaft extending through said weight, a gear wheel upon said latter shaft meshing with said pinion, and gearing for revolving said grooved shaft from the' shaft which extends through the weight.

10. A projectile having a forward and a rearward powder chamber and a mechanism chamber 4interposed between said powder chambers, in combination with mechanism operated by the rotary motion of the proj ectile for maintaining the projectile in horizontal position along its trajectory.

11. The combination with a projectile, of a longitudinally disposed grooved shaft supported therein, means for revolving said shaft from the rotary motion of the projectile, a weight suspended from said shaft and adapted to be moved rearward by the revolution of said shaft, and a supplemental weight supported adjacent to the movable weight.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED MAURICE MAZER.

Witnesses:

AUGUST DELIsoN, ZENOBE A. DELWARTZ. 

